A high-flying Memorial Day

Southern Living, May 2001 by Vanhooser, Cassandra M

As I drive into Anderson, South Carolina, on this Friday before Memorial Day, I see a huge pink bunny skimming the treetops. I shake my head and rub my eyes, but the image remains, only now a chubby white Michelin Man has joined the party

I'm not imagining things. I am approaching the Anderson Sports and Entertainment Center. That Energizer Bunny I spy going and going and going is actually a hot-air balloon, one of the more than 100 in town for the Pontiac-GMC Freedom Weekend Aloft, the city's annual Memorial Day festival.

The first such event was staged in nearby Greenville for the filming of a movie titled Hot Heir. Though the film was a dud, local businessmen recognized the economic potential and staged the festival a second year with the community in mind. Now held in Anderson rather than Greenville, the festival prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary this year.

Hot-air balloons continue to be the main attraction. Pilots bring their colorful rigs to town to entertain guests and compete for prizes and money. This year's event promises to be bigger and better with the addition of the Balloon Federation of America's national championship competition.

The event kicks off on Friday with a balloon glow at dusk, along with the opening of the festival grounds for rides, games, and concerts. Festivities continue throughout the weekend, enticing many people, such as Susan Stanfield, to join in the fun.

"I love the balloons. I love the sky divers. I love the music," she says. "This is my kind of thing. It's a treat for all the senses."

For Susan, the festival has become a family tradition. She took her kids to Greenville's first balloon festival, and today she brings her granddaughter, 2-year-old Kirstin King. Kirstin sits in a kid-size lawn chair beside her grandmother, sipping lemonade. She is the very picture of summer.

That's what Freedom Weekend Aloft is all about, after all. We're saying hello to summer.

Pontiac-GMC Freedom Weekend Aloft: May 25-28. Hours: noon-11 p.m. daily. Admission: $30 per carload in advance, $40 at the gate (maximum of 8). For more information: Call (864) 232-3700.